Stop Waiting to “Feel Motivated” — The Real Secret to Showing Up for Yourself After 40

Let's imagine a hardworking, kind, totally capable woman. She’s been consistent for months, doing everything right: showing up, eating well, getting her sleep in check. But her motivation to exercise lately felt flat.

“I just don’t want to do it anymore,” she said. “I know it’s good for me… I just can’t make myself want it.”

We've all been there. That little word — want — gets us every time.

We think consistency comes from wanting it more, from summoning some mystical motivation that lasts forever. But motivation is like the weather. Some days it’s sunny and bright; other days it packs up and disappears without warning.

And if you depend on it, you’ll always be waiting for perfect conditions.

So what’s the real difference between women who keep showing up for themselves and those who keep starting over? It’s not willpower. It’s not even discipline. It's identity.

The Real Shift: From “Trying” to “Becoming”

Here’s what research — and real life — show us: People who see movement as part of who they are are far more likely to stay consistent.

It’s not about wanting to work out. It’s about being the kind of woman who moves her body because that’s part of the identity of a person who is looking after their health.

Think about it: You don’t need motivation to brush your teeth or make your morning coffee. It’s just who you are — a coffee drinker who looks after your dental health.

That’s the secret. When rebounding (or any form of movement) becomes part of your identity, it stops feeling like a chore. It becomes your normal.

How to Build That “This Is Just Who I Am” Energy

You don’t need to overhaul your life — you just need evidence. Each small decision is a vote for the woman you’re becoming because it's evidence of your new identity.

Here’s how to start shifting:

1. Lower the bar to raise the consistency. Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for possible. If you don’t have the energy for a full class, bounce for five minutes. Gentle moves, deep breaths, a few songs you love. Movement is medicine — not punishment.

2. Match it to your identity, not your mood. Stop waiting to “feel like it.” If you’re a woman who values her energy, clarity, and longevity, then moving your body is how you live that out.

3. Give your future self a name. It sounds silly, but it works. Picture “Strong Sandra” or “Vibrant Vicki” (or insert your own fabulous alter ego). Ask yourself — what would she choose today? Then go do that.

When Motivation Takes a Vacation

Here’s the truth: You won’t always feel motivated. Some days, the hardest thing you’ll lift is your sports bra.

But those are the days that build you. Every time you move anyway, you’re reminding your brain — “I’m a woman who follows through.”

And that message gets louder over time. Until one day, it just clicks; you’re not “trying to stay consistent,” you are consistent.

Identity and behaviour are interconnected.

Your behaviours influence your identity, and your identity guides your behaviours.

So Stop Asking, “Why Can’t I Stick With It?”

Ask this instead:

“Who am I becoming with each decision I make?”

Because motivation will fade. Schedules will get messy. Hormones will throw curveballs.

But your identity? That’s solid ground.

When you start seeing yourself as a woman who moves, nourishes, and cares for her body — not perfectly, but faithfully — consistency becomes your natural state.

Here’s the Truth I’ve Learned

You don’t have to chase the version of you that used to feel motivated. You just have to become the version of you who keeps showing up — even on the days that feel heavy.

Start small. Start messy. Start today.

Because the more you move, the more you remember who you are — strong, capable, vibrant, and very much alive.

And once that identity takes root, motivation won’t be the thing that gets you bouncing. It’ll just be your way of being.

Costafit Rebounding isn’t about doing more.

It’s about building your healthy happy tooth brushing(LOL), exerciser identity — one bounce at a time.